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Thursday, 18 April 2024
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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 99-08-07Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Heatwave expected Tuesday, WednesdayThe interior ministry yesterday issued a warning about an upcoming heatwave on Tuesday and Wednesday when temperatures are expected to hit the scorching 40-42C mark.According to a special Hazardous Weather Forecast issued by the National Meteorological Service, temperatures will begin gradually rising throughout the country on Saturday. Responsible ministries, local government authorities, the police force and the fire brigade have been alerted to make appropriate preparations on the basis of the existing "Xenocrates" emergency plan and measures to prevent and combat possible forest f ires have been intensified. The elderly as well as individuals suffering from health problems are advised to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities. Athens News Agency[02] OA contacts with Commission over proposed share capital increaseOlympic Airways' (OA) management yesterday received assurances from the European Transportation Committee that approval for an OA share capital increase will be issued in 10 weeks' time, allowing for the prior completion of a business plan to restructure the debt-ridden airline. In addition, new OA managing director Rod Lynch briefed EU officials on the progress regarding the state-owned national carrier's relocation to the new Athens airport at Spata, saying the Greek government had decided to reimburse OA for its relocation costs. According to sources, approval for OA's third 7.8-billion-drachma share capital increase is very probable.Athens News Agency[03] Health ministry promises heightened campaign on AIDS awarenessThe health ministry's leadership yesterday expressed concern about the latest statistics regarding the deadly AIDS virus' presence in Greece, stressing that an information campaign to make residents in Greece more aware of the disease would be stepped up.Deputy Health Minister Theodoros Kotsonis told a news conference that 81 new cases of AIDS infection had been recorded in the first half of 1999. He added that efforts were continuing for the anonymous mass screening of the population to determine the exact number of HIV carriers in the country. Citing the findings of recent studies carried out mainly in the provinces, epidemiology professor Anastasia Roumelioti said young people, especially up to the age of 30, were using contraceptives with greater frequency than older individuals. According to the findings of studies covering the last three years, 40 per cent of men had sexual relations outside the relationship with their permanent partner, while the corresponding figure for women was 12.5 per cent. What worried reseachers, howev er, is that women appear more often than men to be refusing any contraceptive protection in their extramarital relations. Prof. Roumelioti said this reluctance on the part of women had been reflected by the recent sharp increase in the number of women contracting AIDS from heterosexual contact. The findings of the studies showed that of the men and women who engaged in extramarital affairs, 33 per cent of women did not contraceptives, compared to 24 per cent of men. A central slogan in this year's briefing campaign of the ministry is "Suspicion may save you", as it tries to convince anyone with doubts to immediately take the AIDS test. Alarmed by the increase in the number of prostitutes in Greece, swelled partly by the influx of women from countries of eastern and central Europe, the ministry has launched a special programme entitled "Aphrodite". Under the programme, social workers will approach prostitutes and attempt to inform them in their own language about the risks they and their customers face. Athens News Agency [04] Positive Greek-Bulgarian trade relations toutedSOFIA (ANA - B. Borisov) P Greece ranks first among Bulgaria's regional trade partners and third among EU member-states, according to members of a Greek trade delegation visiting the country.In an interview with the Bulgarian daily "Sega", the head of the Greek trade office, Georgios Doudoumis, noted that Greece now ranks fourth in terms of Bulgaria's overall trade relations. He added that following the conclusion of a majority purchase of the country's telephone utility BTK by a joint venture formed by the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) and Dutch multinational KPN, Greece will rank first. According to the Greek diplomat, purchases and investments by Greek firms in Bulgaria include acquisition of a Pleven cement unit by Titan, the Post Bank purchase by EFG Eurobank along with a US multinational and the purchase of one of Bulgaria's larget s glassmakers. Athens News Agency[05] No dioxin contamination found among Thermaikos musselsThessaloniki prefecture officials yesterday announced that DSP dioxin tests conducted by a state laboratory of Italy on mussels collected at the Gulf of Thermaikos proved negative.If further testing proves negative, then an order by the Thessaloniki prefect on July 15 prohibiting the collection and sale of mussels from the Thermaikos Gulf will be lifted. Athens News Agency [06] EOT-- The National Tourism Organisation (EOT) yesterday issued a press release advising vacationers who wish to visit Rhodes around the middle of this month to secure accommodations prior to travelling to the island.For more information, call the Dodecanese Tourism Bureau at 0241-35226, 23655, 21291 and 23255. Athens News Agency [07] EFG Eurobank on Ergobank buyoutEFG Eurobank yesterday announced that more than 30,000 ErgoBank shareholders had accepted an offer to exchange their shares with Eurobank stock.According to the announcement, Eurobank will acquire up to 200 shares per shareholder, a move which will cover 69 per cent P or 21,084 shareholders who own 200 shares or less. The Athens-based bank will acquire 41 per cent of the shares offered over the 200 limit, while transactions will be completed by Tuesday. By Wednesday, all stocks not exchanged will be returned to their owners. In an unrelated development, Eurobank announced a 1 per cent increase in consumer loan interest rates as part of efforts to curtail borrowing. Athens News Agency[08] Ad expenditures post healthy increase in '99 so farMedia Services S.A. yesterday announced a 27.34 per cent increase of total advertising expenditures in Greek mass media during the first seven months of the year.Specifically, total advertising expenditure in newspapers, television, magazines and radio rose to 261.2 billion drachmas. Television received the 'lion's share' with 47,28 per cent; magazines followed with 28.63, newpapers with 18.69 and radio with 5.5 per cent. In July alone, advertisers spent 31.7 billion drachmas compared to 24.7 billion during the same month of 1998 P a 28 per cent increase. Athens News Agency [09] Viohalko group firm purchases majority of Romanian companyGreek Cables S.A., a Viohalko group firm, yesterday announced the purchase of a majority stake in the Romanian cable manufacturer ICME ECAB S.A. through a public offer on the Bucharest stock exchange.An ICME ECAB stockholders' assembly on Aug. 31 is expected to approve a hand over of the firm's management to Greek Cables. ICME ECAB produces low- and medium-voltage cables and telecommunications wires, while its assets include 26.5 hectares of land and roughly 70,000 square metres of facilities in the Romanian capital. [10] --- The finance ministry is to auction off six-month T-bills inelectronic form worth 30 billion drachmas on Tuesday. Issue and settlement date is Friday, Aug. 13. Athens News AgencyBourse closes on high note in brisk end-of-the-week trading An upward turn on most European bourses yesterday following Thursday's decline apparently affected the Athens Stock Exchange, where turnover exceeded the 200-billion- drachma mark for the first time in several weeks of trading. Investors' interest was particularly strong in the equities of low- and medium-cap companies, while remaining weak in the banking sector. For the second successive day of trading, buying interest centred on the construction sector, where the index closed near the limit up mark and the price of 15 shares rose by the maximum 8 per cent. The general index ended 0.89 per cent higher at 4,443.4 points from 4, 404.26 points in the previous session. Turnover was 201.529 billion drachmas from 189 billion drachmas a day earlier. Changing hands were 32,130,301 stocks. Sector indices ended as follows: Banks (-0.44%), Leasing (+2.37%), Insurance (+0.40%), Investment (+0.32%), Construction (+7.06%), Industrials (+0.99%), Miscellaneous (+4.99%) and Holding (+4.25%). The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended 3.31 per cent higher. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for heavily traded stocks and blue chips rose 0.33 per cent to finish at 2,511.39 points. Of 298 shares traded, advances outpaced declines at 214 to 73 with 11 issues unchanged. The price of 54 shares closed at the 8 per cent limit up, including those of Bank of Greece, Themeliodomi, Techniki Olympiaki, Tegopoulos, Karelias, Papastratos, Bar ba Stathis (common), Minoan Lines and Olympic Catering. National Bank of Greece ended at 21,540 drachmas, Alpha Credit Bank at 21, 400, Bank of Piraeus at 8,480, Ergobank at 30,000, Titan Cement (commom) at 30,400, Hellenic Petroleum at 2,780 and Intracom (common) at 21,255 drachmas. Athens News Agency Bond prices drop further Secondary market bond prices fell slightly yesterday, in line with trends elsewhere in Europe. Analysts consider that prices, after receding 7 per cent over the last few day, have now fallen to levels where they represent investment opportunities. Specifically, heightened interest was reported for the benchmark 10-year bond outside the electronic trade, whose volume reached 39 billion drachmas. The yield spread above German bonds remained almost unchanged at 178 basis points. At the central bank's daily fix, the drachma rose against the euro to 326.210 from 325.920 yesterday. The US dollar rose slightly to 303.960 from 301.940. Athens News Agency Athens Foreign Exchange Bank of Greece closing rates of August 6,1999 Banknotes Buying Selling US Dollar 301.528 308.519 Can.Dollar 201.138 205.801 Australian Dlr 197.061 201.630 Pound Sterling 486.814 498.101 Irish Punt 410.887 420.414 Pound Cyprus 559.488 572.460 Pound Malta 702.587 731.861 Turkish pound (100) 0.062 0.065 French franc 49.332 50.476 Swiss franc 201.986 206.669 Belgian franc 8.022 8.208 German Mark 165.455 169.291 Finnish Mark 54.426 55.688 Dutch Guilder 146.844 150.248 Danish Kr. 43.473 44.481 Swedish Kr. 36.829 37.683 Norwegian Kr. 39.001 39.906 Austrian Sh. 23.517 24.063 Italian lira (100) 16.712 17.100 Yen (100) 263.049 269.148 Spanish Peseta 1.945 1.990 Port. Escudo 1.614 1.651 Foreign Exchange Buying Selling New York 301.528 308.519 Montreal 201.138 205.801 Sydney 197.061 201.630 London 486.814 498.101 Dublin 410.887 420.414 Nicosia 559.488 572.460 Paris 49.332 50.476 Zurich 201.986 206.669 Brussels 8.022 8.208 Frankfurt 165.455 169.291 Helsinki 54.426 55.688 Amsterdam 146.844 150.248 Copenhagen 43.473 44.481 Stockholm 36.829 37.683 Oslo 39.001 39.906 Vienna 23.517 24.063 Milan 16.712 17.100 Tokyo 263.049 269.148 Madrid 1.945 1.990 Lisbon 1.614 1.651 Athens News AgencyAthens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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